My first research obsession? The Lincoln assassination. At age ten I raided my dad's Civil War books for more information. Aliens became my second obsession--I base my ideal of feminine strength on Ellen Ripley--but the most influential emerged with the debut of "The Young Riders," a '90s TV show about the Pony Express. I became the foremost authority on pony express history at Mishawaka High School. Not much of a boast, but research, fan fiction, and historical romances kept me out of trouble.
As a National Merit Scholar I attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio. I traveled to Norwich, England, for my junior year to study at the University of East Anglia, where I met my husband. After a brief stint as an unaccomplished art major, I graduated from BGSU with a BA in English and history. Ohio State University accepted me as a graduate teaching assistant. I earned my MA with a thesis on Old West outlaws and the impact of legend on society.
In November of 2006, shortly after committing to a career writing fiction, I established Unusual Historicals, a multi-author blog for those writers and readers who love historical romances set in unusual times and places.
I also wrote what became What a Scoundrel Wants--my swashbuckling contribution to the Robin Hood legends--and an Italian time travel called "Sundial," which won The Wild Rose Press's "Through the Garden Gate" short story contest. Both stories were accepted for publication in autumn 2007. The Spanish-set sequel to What a Scoundrel Wants, called Scoundrel’s Kiss, featuring a warrior monk and an opium addict, was released in January 2010.
I've recently embarked on three new projects. First, co-writing with my friend Ann Aguirre under the name Ellen Connor, our "Dark Age Dawning" trilogy of hot-and-dirty apocalyptic romances will be coming soon from Penguin.
My historical romance called Song of Seduction, set in Napoleonic Austria, will help launch Carina Press, Harlequin's new digital-first venture, in June. Its sequel will be Portrait of Seduction, set for an early 2011.
I've also just signed a two-book deal with Pocket to write Victorian-set romances. The first, Flawless, set in colonial South Africa, will be arriving in early 2012.
Husband: Keven
Children: Juliette and Ilsa
Best adventure: my study abroad year in England
Fave musicians: U2, Chris Isaak, Charlotte Martin, a-ha, Imogen Heap, Vast, Coldplay
I first noticed my husband: dancing, then discussing imperial Russian history
First romance: Santana Rose by Olga Bicos
Fave thrills: anticipation, new music, roller coasters
Pets: two tabbies (Hopi and Walter)
Fave places: Cancun, the London Underground, the shores of Lake Michigan
Fave TV shows: "Doctor Who," "So You Think You Can Dance," "Lie to Me," "Castle"
Previous jobs: late night fast food cook, concrete laborer, graduate teaching assistant, financial secretary, waffle waitress
Want to visit: Salzburg
Worst fear: harm to my family
Biggest time waster: YouTube
Fave foods: freshly baked bread, mocha latte, enchiladas, lasagna, donuts
My heroes have always been: clever, funny, intense, wiry, dark-haired
My heroines have always been: tough, sassy, bold, maternal, independent
And for Carrie's hot-and-dirty apocalyptic paranormal romances, co-written with Ann Aguirre, visit:
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